Welcome!
Overview
Advancing education using state of the art AI
UTS is committed to the responsible use of the most advanced technologies to improve student success. We therefore want to consult with students on two new advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI):
> Generative AI has hit the headlines in the last 6 month with the release of ChatGPT, which is a breakthrough in AI. It’s the world fastest adopted app, and just one of many generative AI technologies exploding. This genie is already out of the bottle, and we want to start an ongoing conversation on how such technology can be used responsibly to improve learning.
> Predictive AI can be used to identify students who may be in need of more support in their studies. A machine learning model assesses how similar current students’ online behaviour is, compared to past students who failed or dropped out of a subject. Given the success of this approach in other universities, we are considering piloting this to help students who may withdraw before census date.
Both of these developments introduce ethical considerations, and these workshops are to hear the diverse range of student voices.
Will this make any difference?
Yes! Your views will be presented (by student representatives) to the UTS leaders responsible for how AI is deployed.
The principles designed by students and staff from the first EdTech Ethics consultation were taken on board by UTS: UTS now has an AI Operations Policy and Procedure which subscribes to the NSW Government AI Assurance Framework, and is committed to students as partners.
Who’s running this?
The Student Partnership in AI initiative is convened by Prof. Kylie Readman (Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education & Students), with the support of Craig Napier (Chief Data Officer) and Susan Gibson (Head, Data Analytics & AI). Working in partnership with the Student Association, these workshops are coordinated by Prof. Simon Buckingham Shum (Director, Connected Intelligence Centre) with support from Dr. Jan McLean (Director, Institute for Interactive Media in Learning).
Deliberative Democracy
Informed, deliberative, dialogue
Deliberative Democracy is a movement in response to this crisis in confidence in how decisions affecting citizens get made. You may have heard of Citizens’ Juries, Citizens’ Assemblies, or Consensus Conferences. These workshops will give you a taste of this in action.
It’s informed…
Learn from experts about the topic, and learn from your peers
It’s inclusive…
Unlike some workshops, the group isn’t just whoever shows up: this will be as representative and diverse a group as we can recruit. A different mindset and dynamic: you’re not just there to share your mind, but to place yourself in the shoes of others.
It’s respectful…
There may be diverse opinions: can you dialogue respectfully?
It’s influential…
This is the UTS Student Partnership in action, with the backing of the Student Association and UTS leadership. Your work will directly inform decisions UTS must make about its use of AI.
Get involved!
What am I committing to?
Learning about the topic, and respectful deliberation, recognising that different students will hold different views. No special knowledge or skills are required.
Each workshop requires 4 hours of your time:
- 1 hour prep (read some brief material and post your thoughts on Teams)
- 2 hour workshop during StuVac
- 1 hour after workshop — Teams discussion and review of workshop report to ensure that you feel it’s a fair summary
You must be able to ATTEND on campus:
Workshop 1: Predictive AI — Wednesday 24/5/23 from 10am – 12pm followed by lunch
AI can be used to predict student outcomes, which can enable timely interventions — but how should predictive analytics be used responsibly?
Workshop 2: Generative AI — Thursday 25/5/23 from 10am – 12pm followed by lunch
You’ve probably heard of apps like ChatGPT, Jasper, Midjourney, DALL-E… — but how should they be used responsibly, and should UTS switch on Turnitin’s AI-generated writing detector?
We know your time’s precious so to thank you, enjoy a $150 gift-card on completion of each workshop! If you can commit the time, please apply for both workshops.
Express your interest now (sign in with your UTS student email). Applications close midnight, Wednesday 17 May 2023.
A reminder that expressing interest is not a guarantee of a place, since we select participants to ensure diversity, representation and inclusion across varying characteristics. However, if you are not selected in the first round, you may still get a place if others decline their invitations. There may well be future events as well.
Queries
If you have any questions, please email the UTS Connected Intelligence Centre (cic@uts.edu.au) with subject line: AI Ethics Consultation